IT’S ALL HERE! THE HOME SHOW AT THE RHODE ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER

(East Providence, Rhode Island) The largest and oldest Home Show in southern New England is returning to the Rhode Island Convention Center next Thursday March 11 through Sunday March 14. Rhode Island’s longest running show with over 300 exhibitors, how- to- seminars, children’s entertainment and cooking demonstrations! Attendees will quickly see that “It’s All Here” at the 2010 show. The Rhode Island Convention Center will be filled with aisles of useful information on home building and remodeling trends, including how to make your home more energy efficient.

Special seminars on How to Hire a Contractor, Kitchen and Bathroom Trends, Green Building, Landscape Design, Use of Space: Interior Design and more will be held over the course of the show.

Saturday and Sunday at 10:30am
Staying in Your Home as You Age
According to a recent AARP survey, the majority of seniors prefer to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. But their homes, unless properly designed and equipped, will not be able to accommodate their changing levels of mobility, vision and needs.

Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) Steve St. Onge, owner of R.I. Kitchen and Bath in Warwick, has seen an increase in requests for accessibility modifications to allow clients to remain in their homes. “We have served many people over the last 21 years who are now remodeling again,” he states.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the AARP developed the CAPS designation to assist aging homeowners to identify reputable contractors that have been trained in Universal Design and the unique needs of our aging population. “Regardless of age or lifestyle, every American should have the option to live in a home that is comfortable and allows them to maintain their independence and dignity,” comments Bobby Rayburn, NAHB president.

Saturday and Sunday at 11am
Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010
Kitchens and baths have traditionally reflected the personal preferences and personalities of the homeowner. “Today the trend is to use changes in color and materials to call attention to specific focal points or areas of interest,” reports Prudence Stoddard, CKD, designer at R.I. Kitchen & Bath of Warwick, who is also a course instructor in kitchen and bath design at the Rhode Island School of Design. “Using individual cabinets as furniture pieces also creates an environment that is unique with a splash of individuality.” We are seeing a color shift from greens to blues, transitioning us to teal as the popular color for 2010. In addition, whites and off-whites with glazes are still in the mix, as are the darker stained woods such as wenge and deeper ebony and mahogany tones.

Bathroom trends focus on luxury, comfort and customization. Look for warmer colors, heated floors, and multi-jet massaging showers creating a spa-like retreat within the home. Master baths are incorporating workout areas and even massage tables in adjacent spaces. Glass and natural stone tiles and surfaces are continuing to gain in popularity. Tiles are becoming more linear and a single surface may contain many mixed materials (i.e. stone, glass and ceramic) rather than being all one material.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT NOON
HOW TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR
Whether you’re building or remodeling, there are good resources to identify contractors in your area. Find out how to interview prospects, verify a contractor’s background, check references, and narrow the field by recognizing warning signs. Learn what details should be contained in your written contract. Doing background work is the key to a successful project! This informative seminar is hosted by Felix Carlone – Chairman of the RI Contractors’ Registration & Licensing Board.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT 1PM
Better Use of Space in Your Home
Is your basement packed full of junk? Do you have a dining room you use 3 times per year? Can’t fit your car in your garage? Shoes & coats always piled at the door? Are you convinced you need more space in your home? Don’t be so sure. Learn how to make better use of the space you already have. Joe Cracco, CGR, CAPS, CGP and owner of the award-winning remodeling company, Modern Yankee Builders, along with colleague and Architect, Gary Moyer, give this insightful and informative seminar about how you can get the most out of your house without adding on.

Saturday and Sunday at 2pm
Green Building
Find out about current national certification processes that are available for “Green” residential construction in SE New England. Explore opportunities of renewable energy in the form of wind, photovoltaic and geo-thermal. The concept of 1:2 ($2 of energy savings for every $1 of cost) will be explained by Dan Paquette: Chief Sustainability Officer at Woodmeister Master Builders; Chairman of the Green Building Committee – RIBA; Vice- Chair of the US Green Building Council – RI Chapter.

Saturday and Sunday 3pm
Landscape Design 101
Landscaping enhances the value of your home. Learn simple steps that will make your yard beautiful! Chuck Carberry has over 20 years of experience in the landscape and design industry and is a Licensed Landscape Architect. An award winning designer, his design experience includes over 10 years of master planning and garden designs at the Roger Williams Park.

A new “How-To” stage was developed to help consumers to make informed buying decisions. According to Bob Yoffe, President of Yoffe Exposition Services “Exhibitors have so much knowledge and information at their fingertips, but because of time constraints on both the buyer and seller, all this information is difficult to impart and digest. The “How-To” stage allows our vendors an opportunity to make a full presentation of their products and services to their potential buyers and interested consumers, while not being a 30-minute infomercial.”

“For example, as part of the Green movement, energy efficiency in windows is a critical factor. Andersen/Brosco has created a “Homeowner Boot Camp” which provides homeowners with information related to Energy Star and the Government tax credit running through 2010,” Yoffe explains. “Many questions remain in the market as to how the law works and what a homeowner needs to know to take advantage of the tax credit as well as understanding what to look for when selecting a window and door. These types of presentations allow consumers an opportunity gather information and ask questions without the feeling that they need to make that buying decision on the spot.“
The popular Rejuvenation Night returns to the Home Show for three nights. Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 6pm-9pm, attendees can relax with free spa treatments from Renovo Heath and Wellness, taste wines from the vineyards of the Coastal Wine Trail and sample Cabot cheese and delectable chocolate treats from Sweet Occasions!

Learn the secrets of the award winning chefs of Newport and Bristol County! Live from our Demonstration Kitchen, mouth-watering recipes from the areas finest restaurants will be created. Step-by-step instructions will show you how to prepare a scrumptious mix of soups, salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Lobster Popovers from the DeWolf Tavern are just one of the many offerings you’ll find in our Kitchen. Bring your appetite because you will enjoy a taste of these delectable dishes after the demonstration!

Attendees will also enjoy samplings and recipes from Sam Adams, Cabot Cheese, the Coastal Wine Trail, Jameson Irish Whiskey and more! Informative seminars on how these wines, brews and liquors are produced make The Newport Restaurant Week Stage a must see at this year’s Home Show! For complete demonstration schedule visit ww.ribahomeshow.com

During the Home Show, attendees can enter to WIN the Newport Restaurant Week Demonstration Kitchen. The Grand Prize Give a way include Stainless Steel Frigidaire Side-by-Side Refrigerator from JA Appliance, Stainless Steel Frigidaire Electric Range from Gil’s Appliance, Stainless Steel Electrolux Dishwasher from S and W TV and Appliance, Cherry Cabinetry and Solid Surface Countertop from R.I. Kitchen and Bath, and a 12-pc Paula Deen Cookware Set From Apex!

Last year, the Perry family in Riverside won a Frigidaire 23 cu. ft. Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Refrigerator, a Frigidaire 30″ Stainless Steel Drop-in Electric Range, and a $250 Macy’s gift card!

Newport Restaurant Week Cooking Demonstrations

Thursday March 11
5 – 6pm: Local Wine education 101, enjoy wine master, Steve Krohn as he pairs Coastal Wine Trail Vineyards award winning wines with some local delicacies.

6-7pm: Chef Kevin Gaudreau, from The Pier Restaurant in Newport will re-create one of his Newport Restaurant Week masterpieces

7-8pm: Chef and Owner Scott Kirmil, from Diego’s, one of the newest restaurants in Newport features atypical Mexican Gourmet style cuisine.

Friday March 12

5-6pm: Local Wine education 101, enjoy wine master, Steve Krohn as he pairs Newport Vineyards award winning wines with some local delicacies.

6pm-8:00pm: Known as one of the hottest new chefs on the scene in Rhode Island, Chef Kevin Thiele of One Bellevue at the Historic Hotel Viking prepares several award winning recipes.

Saturday March 13

11am-1pm: A landmark dining experience is created by Newport Restaurant Week chefs

1pm-2pm: Food & Wine Pairing with wine master, Steve Krohn as he pairs local award winning wines with some local delicacies.

2pm-4pm: Always using the freshest ingredients from the farms on Aquidneck Island, Newport Restaurant Week Chefs prepare appetizers that will make your mouth-water.

4pm-5:30pm: Enjoy your favorite cheese, Cabot ~ (made from milk from area Rhode Island farmers) and learn how to properly pair, with your favorite Samuel Adams beers. A Samuel Adams expert will educate you and your palate on the finer points of cheese and beer partnering!

6pm-7pm: It’s time for an education in Irish Whiskey! Learn the history and the process of distilling the real Whiskey~ Jameson’s Irish Whiskey.
Sunday March 14th

11:30am-1:00pm: Join us as we welcome Executive Chef
Marty Quinn and Chef Stephanie Pires from the Windward Restaurant at the Newport Hyatt Regency hotel as they prepare Diver Scallops with curried red lentil broth on a bed of lemon infused risotto and sautéed spinach.

1:00pm-2:30pm: Learn from the master chef Sai Viswanath from DeWolf Tavern in Bristol, as he creates his amazing Lobster popovers.

2:30pm-4:00pm: Bonjour, Join us as we welcome chef Albert Bouchard from Bouchards Restaurant, and he creates a Newport Restaurant Week masterpiece .

This year’s show will host an “Art-A-Thon for Haiti”, Thursday March 11th through the Sunday March 14th. Organized by local Artist Kim Ellery, “Art-A-Thon for Haiti” is a collaboration of local and national artists who will be donating their time and talents in an effort to make a difference for the people of Haiti. At the Home Show, attendees can watch Artists at work non-stop, painting, drawing, creating their masterpieces right there at the Home Show every hour that the show is open.

For a $5 donation to the Red Cross for Haiti, names will be entered for a chance to win one of the pieces of Art being created at the Home Show. Names will be drawn and randomly matched with a piece of Art, and the winners will be contacted after the show and will be able to collect their Artwork at Jerry’s Artarama the national sponsor of Art -A-Thon For Haiti in Providence,RI.
Sunday is family fun day at the home show, children 12 years of age and younger will be admitted free all day long.

Kaleidoscope Theater returns with performances on Saturday and Sunday of “The Magic of Story time” a wonderful interactive presentation filled with songs, fables, fantasy, and fun. Parents, bring your cameras! The princesses including Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel will be roaming the show floor to meet and greet children of all ages!

Lon Cerel will entertain and amaze with his balloon creations and magic on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Paws the loveable Pawtucket Red Sox Mascot will be at the show Sunday from noon till 1pm.

Patriot’s Alumni Steve Grogan will be at the Verizon booth Saturday from 1-3 and Patriots Cheerleaders will be at the Verizon booth Sunday 1-3pm.

AAA Day is Thursday
“Show Your Card & Coupon to Save” $4 on Full-price Adult Admission.

AAA Discounts – Friday through Sunday
“Show Your Card & Coupon to Save” $2 on Full-price Adult Admission.

Parking Discount – Thursday & Friday
Save $2 on Convention Center garage parking on Thursday and Friday, by bringing your parking ticket to the Rhode Island Builders Association’s booth (new location inside the Exhibit Hall).

TICKETS: Tickets cost $10 for adults; $8 for seniors; $3 for children 6-12; and children 5 and under are free. For information, visit ribahomeshow.com.

History of the Home Show
The Home Show began in 1948 as the “Home Builders Exposition,” the Rhode Island Builders Association’s (RIBA’s) prime contribution to National Home Week, and has become the association’s premier public event.
That first show, chaired by RIBA charter member Albert J. Lamarre of Pawtucket, had 52 exhibitors and created an immediate sensation. In 1949, it became “The Home Builders Show” and, until 1952, the show took place at the Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence.
The only interruption came in 1954, courtesy of Hurricane Carol, when the show had to be cancelled, but RIBA caught up again in 1955 with “The Home Festival” that spring.
Over the last half century, RIBA’s annual show has gone through 16 names, has been managed by eight different production companies and has taken place in seven different locations, reflecting the ever-wider scope of home ownership.
In 1994, the Home Show moved into the brand new Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Since that year, the show has basked in 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and is enjoyed by thousands of visitors each day, a far cry from that humble start in 1948!

The Rhode Island Builders Association solely owns and operates the Home Show at the R.I. Convention Center. RIBA was founded in 1945 as a non-profit trade association providing educational, business and professional development services to the residential construction industry. In addition to promoting job safety and product quality to its 1,400 member companies, RIBA is an advocate for a host of housing issues including affordability and economic development.